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In the wake of the $220,000 verdict against Ms. Thomas, for file-sharing, some have asked whether she can avoid the judgment by filing for personal bankruptcy. The question is a complicated one, and, as it happens, EFF posted a memo last summer explaining the law in this area, for those who may be interested. (Note, it has not been updated since 2006, so further research would be necessary to uncover any more recent precedents.)

Today the New York Times published a fascinating article about a secret government memo purporting to justify extreme interrogation methods, written even as the Administration was disavowing torture. The article is well worth a read in its own right. Deep within the article, lies an
pagewanted=4&hp">anecdote on another topic ? the legal justifications for the NSA warrantless surveillance program:

Four years after it began, the Recording Industry Association of America?s (RIAA) campaign to intimidate music fans by randomly singling out individuals for lawsuits has, for the first time, made it to a jury trial. Despite the RIAA's previous claim that defendants have no right to a jury trial, Jammie Thomas had her day in court in front of a jury sworn to examine the evidence in a fair, impartial manner. The verdict is now in: Thomas was found guilty, and will be liable for $220,000 in penalties ? $9250 per song.

Breaking News Google Associate General Counsel Alex Macgillivray has agreed to attend the EFF Compliance Bootcamp on October 10 and to explain why Google thinks it is important that Web 2.0 companies learn the information we're teaching.

Additionally, Google has generously offered funding for scholarships for approximately 20 additional individuals to attend the Bootcamp. To apply, submit one paragraph to us at Bootcamp@eff.org explaining:

1) Why you would like to attend the Bootcamp, and
2) Why you need a scholarship in order to attend.

We will review them and choose the scholarship recipients on Monday October 8. Thanks Google!

Yesterday, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce opened an investigation into warrantless wiretapping, asking for details from telecommunications providers about government efforts to obtain customer data. In addition, several key members of the committee sent letters to EFF and other civil liberties groups, requesting assistance in the committee's investigation of the controversial program. EFF will be happy to respond.

Since 2003, the government has been building, testing and using the Terrorist Screening Database, stitching together several disparate terrorist lists from various agencies into one vast, centralized database that is a single consolidated watch list of suspicious individuals. Information in the TSDB can be used to decide whether individuals will be allowed to enter the country, get on an airplane, become citizens, or if they will be detained at routine traffic stops. It?s a central factor in other programs, like Secure Flight, the Transportation Security Administration?s proposed plan to ?screen? millions of travelers.

The AP, the Washington Post, and Wired's Threat Level are reporting on today's testimony by Jack Goldsmith, former head of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel. Goldsmith testified that there were certain aspects of the warrantless surveillance program "that I could not find the legal support for," describing the basis as "a legal mess ... it was the biggest mess I encountered there."

Right now, high-powered lobbyists for the giant telecom companies are descending on Capitol Hill to lobby Congress. Their aim: to secure immunity for their clients, insulating them from liability for breaking the law in connection with the NSA?s illegal warrantless wiretapping program. Clearly, EFF's case against AT&T is in their crosshairs.

Considering the urgency of the issue, mainstream media coverage has been surprisingly spotty and incomplete. But there are some excellent updates and analysis from bloggers and news sources that have been doggedly covering the facts as they come in. Here are a few of our picks: